閱讀下列短文,從每題所給的四個選項(A、B、C和D)中,選出最佳選項。

Energy goes from one plant or animal to another.A food chain shows how this energy moves.Each time an animal gets eaten,its energy is passed onto the animal that eats it.The food chain is very important because it keeps the balance of nature.If one part of the food chain disappears,it can affect all the other plants and animals.Any threat to the food chain is a threat to the environment’s biodiversity(生物多樣性).The food chain helps keep animal populations in balance.However,if something happens to damage one of the links in the food chain,that balance is broken.If one animal becomes endangered,it puts all the animals above it at risk.

Some of the threats are natural,such as wildfires,hurricanes,tornados,floods and so on.But the biggest threats to the food chain come from you and me.These threats include overfishing,logging,farming,development,pollution,etc.The food chain is endangered anywhere humans have had an effect on the natural environment.

A recent study shows that the overfishing of large sharks is damaging the food chain along the US Atlantic coast.Canadian and American scientists say sharks are being killed in great numbers for their meat and fins(鰭).Now,not enough sharks are around to eat the cownose ray.The ray’s population has increased and they have eaten up the shellfish to the point where it has hurt commercial(商業(yè)的) fishing.

Many of us disturb the natural environment in our own backyards.It’s up to us to take care of the environment and try not to disrupt the natural food chain.If we don’t act responsibly,animals will start disappearing.

1.What can we learn from Paragraph 1?

A.The food chain is not easy to be broken.

B.The energy of an animal usually disappears when it dies.

C.Increasing the links will not break the balance of nature.

D.Breaking the food chain is bad for the biodiversity of the environment.

2.The study mentioned in Paragraph 3 proves that .

A.human activities can be a big threat to the food chain

B.we are all responsible for the breaking of the food chain

C.natural disasters are hard to break the food chain

D.hunting large sharks for meat is beneficial

3.We can infer that the writer wrote this passage mainly to .

A.explain what the food chain is

B.tell us something interesting about nature

C.suggest that we stop eating meat to save animals

D.suggest that we should not disrupt the natural food chain

閱讀理解。

One day,I received a call from a colleague.He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physical problem,while the student claimed a perfect score.I was elected as their arbiter(仲裁人).I read the examination problem,“Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer(氣壓計).” The student had answered,“Take the barometer to the top of the building,attach a long rope to it,lower it to the street,and then bring it up and measure the length of the rope.The length of it is the height of the building.”

The student had really answered the question completely,but the answer didn’t confirm his competence in physics.I suggested the student try again.I gave him six minutes to answer the question,warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics.Five minutes later,he said he had many answers and dashed off one,which read “Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof.Drop the barometer,timing its fall with a stopwatch,then use the physical formula(公式)to calculate the height of the building.”

At this point,my colleague had to accept it,and then the student made almost full marks.I couldn’t help asking the student what the other answers were.He listed many others,and then added,“Probably the best one is to take the barometer to the administrator and say to him,‘Sir,here is a fine barometer.If you tell me the height of the building,I will give it to you.’”

Then,I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question.He admitted that he did,but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think.

The name of the student was Bohr who later was famous all over the world.He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922.

1.The student got a zero at the beginning because .

A.the teacher wasn’t satisfied with him

B.his answer wasn’t complete or correct

C.the teacher didn’t fully understand his answer

D.his answer didn’t show his knowledge of physics

2.We know from the passage that .

A.the student knew the expected answer

B.the administrator told Bohr the height

C.the author preferred Bohr’s last answer

D.the teacher was a very stubborn person

3.We can learn from the passage that .

A.instructors can teach students how to think

B.arbiters can help students to get high scores

C.students should be given more freedom in thinking

D.teachers should make students use physical formulas

4.What was Bohr’s attitude toward his schooling?

A.Optimistic. B.Critical.

C.Approving. D.Pessimistic.

閱讀理解。

One in five people carry a “smart gene” variant(變體)linked to long lifespan,bigger forebrains and enhanced mental ability,researchers have found.

“We’ve known for a long time that people lose cognitive(認知) abilities as they age,but now we’re beginning to understand that factors like KLOTHO can give people a boost in aging.Genetic variation in KLOTHO could help us predict brain health and find ways to protect people from the diseases that happen to us as we grow old,like Alzheimer’s disease(老年癡呆癥),” said senior author,Dena Dubal of University of California.

The KLOTHO gene affects a protein found in the kidneys and the brain that regulates many different body processes.About one in five people carry a single copy of the variant,known as KL-VS,which boosts levels of the protein and is associated with a longer lifespan and improved heart and kidney function.A small minority,3% of the population,has two copies,which is linked to a shorter lifespan.

In the new study scientists scanned the brains of 422 men and women aged 53 and over who were also tested for the KLOTHO gene.They found that participants with a single copy of the gene variant also had a larger brain region known as RDLPFC,which is especially likely to shrink with age.Loss of neurons in this area may be one reason why older people are sometimes easily distracted and find it difficult to do more than one task at the same time.

Researcher Dr Jennifer Yokoyama said,“The brain region enhanced by genetic variation in KLOTHO is vulnerable(脆弱的)in aging and some mental disease.In this case,bigger size means better function.It will be important to determine whether the structure increase associated with carrying one copy of KL-VS can offset the cognitive(認知的)shortage caused by disease.”

People who have one copy of a variant KL-VS tend to live longer and have lower chances of suffering a stroke(中風(fēng)),whereas people who have two copies may live shorter lives and have a higher risk of stroke.

1.What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A.People’s cognitive abilities do not decline if people have KLOTHO.

B.With the clear understanding of KLOTHO,Alzheimer’s disease can be cured now.

C.Genetic variation in KLOTHO could be helpful in treating mental disease in elderly people.

D.Genetic variation in KLOTHO could lead people to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.

2.If a person carries two copies of the gene variant,he/she may .

A.have better kidney function

B.have a shorter lifespan

C.have a higher level of the protein in his/her body

D.suffer from some cognitive disease

3.The reason why older people’s attention is easily distracted may be that .

A.they have fewer neurons in the RDLPEC

B.their brain region is too large

C.they have two copies of the gene variant

D.they have more neurons in the RDLPEC

4.What does the underlined word “offset” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A.Prevent. B.Balance.

C.Keep. D.Promote.

閱讀理解。

Alibaba started taking the lead in China by connecting big Chinese manufacturers(制造商) with big buyers across the world.Its business-to-business site,Alibaba.com allowed business to buy almost everything.Alibaba’s advantage wasn’t hard to judge:size.Alibaba is just big,even by Chinese standards.Its market attracts 231 million active buyers,8 million sellers,11.3 billion orders a year—and Alibaba is just the middleman.It encourages people to use its markets—not charging small sellers a percentage of the sale.

If you want a quick look into the influence of Alibaba on daily Chinese life,take my experience.I moved to Beijing a year ago and quickly got tired of visiting small stores across the crowded,polluted city of 20 million people in search of new electronics,bathroom furnishings,and anything else my wife wanted.“You’re looking for what exactly?Why not try it?” my Chinese teacher asked me one day.With that,my wonderful new relationship with Alibaba began.

Alibaba’s original business-to-business model now is second to consumer buying.Chinese retail(零售) buying makes up 80% of Alibaba’s profit,and leading that group is Taobao,with 800 million items for sale and the most unbelievable selection of things you’ll ever find.Tmall.com is Alibaba’s another big site,where you can find brand name goods from Nike and Unilever near the lowest prices.

What I have a hard time explaining to friends and family back in the U.S.is how China has gone beyond traditional shopping—big-box retailers especially—in favour of online purchases on Taobao and a few other sites.In smaller towns than Beijing,where big retailers have not yet traveled,shopping online is shopping,and shopping is Taobao.

I have a list of some of my recent purchases on Taobao for a sense of how wide the marketplace is.Almost everything arrived a day or two after ordering with free shipping.I’m not even a big buyer,because I need friends to help me search the Chinese-language site.When I was searching my purchase history on my Chinese teacher’s iPad,which helps me buy goods,I looked through with great difficulty about 10 of her purchases for every one of mine.

1.Alibaba’s advantage mainly lies in .

A.its low price

B.its big size

C.its not charging small sellers

D.its business-to-business service

2.We know from the passage that Alibaba .

A.will continue to develop

B.charges all the sellers on its site a percentage of the sale

C.acts as a bridge between the buyers and sellers

D.is of middle size among all the online sites

3.What can be inferred from the passage?

A.Alibaba’s business-to-business service earns more money than retail.

B.Tmall.com provides more profit than Taobao.

C.Taobao has no obvious advantage over other similar online sites.

D.The author’s Chinese teacher is also an online purchase lover.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A.Shopping online in China is Taobao.

B.How the author purchases online in China.

C.Shopping online goes beyond traditional shopping.

D.Alibaba influences people’s daily purchase in China.

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容,從短文后的選項中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項。選項中的兩項為多余選項。

We’d better develop our interest in English at the beginning of our study.1.We may feel good when we can say something simple in English.

2.So we must make some plans before study.And we should certainly carry out these plans in our study.

3.Our notes are much thinner than the books so that we can learn them by heart easily and can often review and read them.We may also record our notes on tapes so as to listen to them easily.

Reading a newspaper is the best thing to improve your English. 4.It will help you keep in touch with a lot of subjects in English.

5.Learn by heart the whole sentences and the phrases that contain the new words so that we may know how to use the words.

If time permits,we may read a mini Chinese-English dictionary carefully from cover to cover,which may help us widen our sight and master knowledge in all ways.

A.Read a little from a newspaper every day.

B.Don’t read books without making notes.

C.Carefully write an e-mail in English.

D.It’s easy to develop an interest in English study.

E.The more,the better.

F.Plans are always very necessary.

G.Never just memorize single English words.

閱讀理解

Have you ever heard a news reporter talk about DNA?Reporters talk about DNA found at the scene of a crime.They talk about police finding DNA “fingerprints”.Police sometimes use DNA as a clue to find out who committed the crime.

DNA is a substance(物質(zhì))that makes up genes.Everything alive has genes.Plants have genes.Animals have genes.You have genes.

Genes are the basic units of heredity(遺傳).Heredity means all the characteristics you inherit from your parents.You get your genes from your parents.You inherit half of your genes from your mother.You inherit half of your genes from your father.

Genes are a kind of code.A tree’s genes tell what shape its leaves will be.A cat’s genes tell what color its fur will be.Your genes tell what color your eyes will be.Your genes tell what color your hair will be.Everything about you comes from the code in your genes.

Genes line up on strands(鏈)called chromosomes(染色體)in cells.Everything alive is made up of cells.Chromosomes are in the center,or nucleus of cells.

Different parts of you are made of different kinds of cells.Your muscles are made of muscle cells.Your skin is made of skin cells.The code in your genes tells your body to make different kinds of cells.The genes in each cell tell the cell how to work.They tell the cell when to make new copies of itself.

An Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel first saw inherited patterns in pea plants.He experimented with pea plants in the 1860s.One of the things,or traits(特質(zhì)) Mendel studied was what makes some pea plants tall and some short.He said that the traits must come from units of heredity passed from the parent plants.These units were later called genes.

In the mid-1900s,scientists discovered that genes are made of DNA.In the 1970s,scientists learned how to change DNA with genetic engineering.Scientists also learned that problems with certain genes cause diseases.Muscular dystrophy,cystic fibrosis,and hemophilia are some genetic diseases—diseases caused by problems in genes.Today,scientists are looking for ways to cure genetic diseases by changing genes through a process called gene therapy.

1.What is DNA?

A.DNA is a kind of gene.

B.DNA is a substance that makes up genes.

C.DNA is the basic unit of heredity.

D.DNA is a measure to protect crime.

2.Which of the following about genes is correct according to the passage?

A.Plants,animals and human beings have the same genes.

B.Half people inherit all genes from their mother,others from their father.

C.Genes decide the trees shapes,the cats’ fur color and our eyes’ color as well.

D.Genes will give you a code when you need them.

3.An Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel .

A.first saw inherited patterns in people

B.was interested in why plants were different

C.first called the units of heredity from parents genes

D.was the first who discovered genes

4.We can conclude that .

A.scientists were less intelligent than monks in the 1900s

B.some genes are bad and can cause diseases

C.we don’t need to worry about genetic diseases any longer

D.the discovery of genes may be of great help in our daily life

七選五閱讀。

Pearls of wisdom in Proverbs

Out of sight,out of mind.An apple a day keeps the doctor away.Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. 1.Each of the proverbs mentioned above teaches a common truth.But what exactly is a proverb?It’s a short statement that contains a general truth.It is popularly known and often repeated.

Every culture has proverbs. 2.For example,many cultures value old people for their wisdom and experience.This idea can be found in proverbs.A Chinese proverb says,“An old horse will never get lost.” And a Portuguese proverb states,“An old pan is the one that makes good food.” 3.The English say,“Good and quickly seldom meet.” The Chinese say,“Think three times before you act.” A Russian proverb exclaims,“Take your thoughts to bed with you,for the morning is wiser.”

There is a saying:To truly know a people,learn their proverbs.Proverbs contain a culture’s values and morals. 4. People in Saudi Arabia value books and learning.One of their proverbs says,“A book is a garden carried in the pocket.” The French say,“There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience.” So that culture thinks that being honest is important.Egyptians know the value of friendship.One of their proverbs say,“Friendship doubles joy and halves grief.”

In Africa,many proverbs also use images familiar to Africans.For example,“The best way to eat an elephant in your path is cut him up into little pieces.” 5. Or “A roaring lion kills no game.” This means that one cannot achieve anything by sitting around and talking about it.One must get out and strive for it.

Learning proverbs in another language is fun.You can make a good impression with your language ability.But remember proverbs are usually used in spoken language.They are rarely used in writing.If you use a lot of proverbs when you write,people will think you don’t have original thoughts.

A.What is your favorite proverb?

B.Have you heard any of these proverbs before?

C.Many cultures also agree that acting in a hurry is not a good idea.

D.And while some are special for one culture,there are common themes.

E.In other words,the best way to solve a problem is to work on it bit by bit.

F.There are also proverbs such as “get your ducks in a row.”

G.So you can learn what is valued in different cultures through their proverbs.

完形填空。

My mom cooked for my classmates in my elementary school.Although she loved me so much,I still hated her.I was ______ to accept the fact that she was different and ______ talking with her in my school.

One day my mom accidentally met me and greeted me with ______.To her surprise,I ______ her on purpose,threw her a hateful look and ran away.Later,one of my classmates said,“Your mom is very ______ with only one eye.”Just then,I did nothing but my face burned with ______ .On reaching home,I complained to her that she made me embarrassed.I barely noticed her ______ because of anger,much ______ stopped to think for a second about my rude ______ .I must have hurt her feelings.

Being eager to escape from my home,I studied hard,hoping for a chance to live far away.Years later,my ______ eventually paid off and was admitted to a university.After graduation,I settled in another city,devoted to my family and ______ came home.One day,I received a call regarding a school reunion. ______ ,I returned to attend our reunion where I chatted with my teacher.She told me a ______ ,which shocked me and made a ______ .She said she ______ to do this because she had promised my mother not to say it.Then she said she was ______ of my mother,who couldn’t ______ watching me growing up with ______ .When I was very little,I was involved in an accident,and lost one eye.As a mother,she gave me hers.

At that moment,I burst into tears and rushed out to my home with great ______ .I came to know that our mother loved us ______ and never expected any reward.

1.A.hopeless B.determinedC.pleased D.unwilling

2.A.avoided B.started C.risked D.enjoyed

3.A.anxiety B.pleasure C.appreciation D.curiosity

4.A.resisted B.refused C.ignored D.scared

5.A.special B.typical C.annoyed D.disappointed

6.A.sorrow B.shame C.guilt D.dissatisfaction

7.A.attitude B.wisdom C.misunderstanding D.response

8.A.later B.worse C.less D.further

9.A.thought B.behavior C.courage D.reaction

10.A.enthusiasm B.confidence C.effort D.determination

11.A.hardly B.occasionally C.frequently D.immediately

12.A.Instead B.However C.Otherwise D.Therefore

13.A.lie B.story C.secret D.joke

14.A.fortune B.difference C.decision D.contribution

15.A.hesitated B.attempted C.failed D.pretended

16.A.tired B.frightened C.ashamed D.proud

17.A.insist B.deny C.admit D.stand

18.A.disability B.shortcoming C.doubt D.protection

19.A.devotion B.admiration C.regret D.relief

20.A.violently B.unconditionally C.faithfully D.automatically

閱讀理解。

B

Cloning is suggested as a means of bringing back a relative,usually a child,killed tragically.Some parents can understand that wish,but it must first be recognized that the copy would be a new baby and not the lost child.Here lies the difficulty,for the sad parents are seeking not a new baby but a return of the dead one.Since the original would be fondly remembered as having particular talents and interest,would not the parents expect the copy to be the same?It is possible,however,that the copy would develop quite differently.Is it fair to the new child to be placed in a family with such unnatural expectations?

Copying is also suggested as a means by which parents can have the child of their dreams.Couples might choose to have a copy of a film star,baseball player or scientist,depending on their interest.But because personality is only partly the result of genetic inheritance(遺傳),conflicts would be sure to arise if the cloned child failed to develop the same interest as the original.What if the copy of Einstein shows no interest in science?Or the baseball player turns to acting?Success also depends upon fortune.What if the child does not live up to the hopes and dreams of the parents simply because of bad luck?

Every child should be wanted for itself,as an individual.In making a copy of oneself or some famous person,a parent is deliberately(深思熟慮地)specifying(詳細說明)the way he or she wishes that child to develop.In recent years,particularly in the U.S.,much importance has been placed on the right of individuals to reproduce in ways that they wish.So I suggest there is a greater need to consider the interest of the child and to reject these proposed uses of cloning.

1.What happens to parents in cloning a lost child?

A.Parents expect too much from the copy.

B.Parents may get a quite different copy.

C.Parents are sure to have an identical copy.

D.Parents lose the talents of the lost child.

2.What,in the author’s opinion, affects the success of parents’ dreams?

A.The cloned child’s interest in Einstein.

B.The cloned child’s natural talent.

C.The cloned child’s personality.

D.The efforts of the parents.

3.In the last paragraph,the author implies that .

A.the cloned child is viewed as independent

B.the right of growing in his own way is taken away from the cloned child

C.parents carefully protect the rights of the cloned child

D.parents are eager to wish the cloned child to be somebody.

4.In this passage,the author is mainly concerned about .

A.the future of a cloned child

B.the possibility of cloning people

C.the importance of cloning a lost child

D.the problems of a cloned child

閱讀下列短文,從每題所給的四個選項(A、B、C和D)中,選出最佳選項。

Living with other students can be a wonderful experience.Here are a few tips for student accommodations that can help ensure a great experience and build lifelong friendships:Screen your roommates carefully if you are given a choice.Combining the living spaces of several students into one location can be an exciting and rewarding experience for the outgoing students.If you are on the shy side,or prefer a quiet group to study with,pick quieter roommates.

Divide the bills evenly(平等地).Some students are far less responsible than their roommates and tend to let their part of the finance slide.Dissatisfaction is quick to build when everyone has to pay the bill for a fellow student who can’t seem to pay his/her share of the money.

Carry your part of the load.Everyone has to clean the bathroom and the kitchen.Don’t avoid your part of responsibility.Student accommodations can get messy and it involves everyone to keep them tidy and healthy.

Think about someone else before you think about yourself.Put your roommates interests above your own.Life will be enjoyable when everyone is concerned about the feelings of each other.

Be open and honest.Hostilities(敵意) and frustrations may cause problems that can’t be fixed.Everyone brings different standards and expectations to group living and it’s in everyone’s best interest to put them into the open.Disagreements can be managed more warmly when you are willing to be both open and listen to others.

1.When it comes to the bills,every member is advised to .

A.foot the bill for a fellow student

B.let his/her part of the finances slide

C.pay his/her own share of money

D.take more responsibility than others

2.The role “carry your part of the load” means every room member should .

A.avoid making too much noise

B.take turns to keep the room tidy

C.take care of others when they are ill

D.avoid staying up and oversleeping

3.To be a good member,one should learn to according to the passage.

A.choose his/her roommates at random

B.balance his/her interests with others

C.express his/her disagreement openly and honestly

D.tolerate different standards and expectations